Established 2004

Ruddlesden geotechnical

Ruddlesden geotechnical provides ground investigation, geotechnical consultancy and contamination assessment services.

Based in Exeter, but covering the whole of the UK, albeit primarily concentrated in the South West, Ruddlesden geotechnical was formed in 2004.

Ruddlesden geotechnical works on behalf of a wide client base, including local, regional and national housing developers, housing associations, commercial developers, building contractors, structural and civil engineers, architects, building consultants, quantity surveyors, local authorities and private individuals.

Development projects range from single dwellings and extensions to large housing estates, multi-storey flats, offices, industrial units, roads, slopes, schools, hospitals and basements.

The services and projects listed on this web-site provide an indication of those undertaken by Ruddlesden geotechnical, but others are carried out. If your requirement is not readily identifiable on this web-site, please contact us as we may still be able to help you.

  • AGS
  • Constructionline
  • CSCS
  • SMAS
  • ECFC trust
  • Latest news

    20 Aug 2026

    Start over-winter monitoring before it is too late!

    Look at these groundwater monitoring dataloggers! Whilst some loggers are still in the ground, monitoring groundwater levels all year round, these lot were taken out of their boreholes in May or June this year, once they had proven that they had recorded the seasonal groundwater peaks.As we come towards the end of a particularly dry summer, it might seem difficult to think about monitoring groundwater levels when conditions are at their wettest. But there is considerable benefit in starting over-winter groundwater monitoring sooner rather than later.. One year, the seasonal groundwater peak will be in November, and if the loggers don’t go in the ground before then, they won’t be able to record this!With Ruddlesden geotechnical, there is no financial benefit in delaying the start of over-winter groundwater monitoring; we charge the same to start monitoring in September as we do in December

    Start over-winter monitoring before it is too late!
    Start over-winter monitoring before it is too late!
  • Recent projects

    Materials Management Plan Avoids Unnecessary Landfill Disposal

    Ruddlesden geotechnical produced a Materials Management Plan (MMP) in accordance with CL:AIRE Definition of Waste (DoW): Code of Practice (CoP) for the movement of topsoil from a greenfield site undergoing development near Exeter (donor site), to a new visitor centre on the Jurassic Coast (receiver site). The production of the MMP ensured that good quality topsoil was not unnecessarily taken to landfill and certified that the topsoil was of sufficient quality and suitable for use to be placed in the areas of public open space surrounding the visitor centre. The liaison between Ruddlesden geotechnical, the client, the donor site, the haulage contractor and the Environment Agency were key to ensure that the MMP was in place in a timely manner, prior to material movements. Following the movement of the topsoil, a validation report was produced to demonstrate that the material movements had taken place in accordance with the MMP, to the satisfaction of the Environment Agency.

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  • Recent projects

    Coal Mining Assessment, Somerset

    A Phase 1 Geotechnical Assessment and Coal Mining Risk Assessment indicated that a proposed residential development site in Nailsea was potentially at risk from mining-related subsidence as a result of shallow mine workings within the coal seam beneath the site. Ruddlesden geotechnical designed a scope of works to investigate the historical mine workings to assess as to whether the collapse of said workings could foreseeably affect any future residential development of the site. The geotechnical investigation comprised trial pits and trenches, followed by rotary open-hole boreholes. The trial pits were used to inspect the near surface ground conditions and historical mine entries, whilst the boreholes were used to determine the depth of coal seam(s) and historical workings beneath the site. The results of the investigation were used to produce a geological cross-section of the site and ground model, which were used to assess the risk of mining-related subsidence. By virtue of the depth of mine workings, and the working height, it was considered that future development was unlikely to be affected by historical mining.

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